


Lost Boy

by Vilya_Mariposa



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: AU, Amnesia, Complete, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26352964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vilya_Mariposa/pseuds/Vilya_Mariposa
Summary: Rey is living her life on Jakku when she finds a man with no past in the desert.  They make a life together until a droid rolls into their lives.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 11
Kudos: 77





	Lost Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: There are large lifts of dialogue from _Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens_.

Rey was sitting in her shelter, trying to figure out what was wrong with the potentially valuable part. She listened for any lessening of the winds outside her shelter, every day, every hour it went on was less time to work.

“ _Help me. Please._ ”

Rey lifted her head and listened, certain that the voice had not come from inside of her shelter. She was about to dismiss it when she heard it again, certain she had not heard it with her ears, but in some other manner.

“ _Please, sweetheart, I need your help._ ”

Rey got up, grabbed her extra clothes and covered up the best she could. Against her better judgement, she exited her shelter. She kept ahold of her staff and walked out in the direction of the voice that called to her.

She was on the verge of turning back when her staff hit something in the sand. She knelt and found a man, barefaced, beaten by the sand, and unconscious. Her common sense told her she should leave him to his fate here in the desert, that he would be a drain of water and food and she was barely getting by on her own. But something in her heart felt for this man, abandoned to the desert, lost and afraid and calling to a stranger. She shouldered her staff, bent over and grabbed him by the back of his clothing, including some kind of cloak, and dragged him to her shelter.

He was tall and underneath the sand and sunburn rather handsome to her eyes. She dribbled water into his mouth and applied cream to his skin. Fortunately he was wearing a lot of clothes so only his exposed face got the brunt of the damage. When she undressed him she didn’t see any obvious injuries.

She put a light sheet over him and made a nest of blankets near his head to get some rest herself.

He was still out of it when she woke the next day but the sandstorm had passed and she needed to go out scavenging. She dribbled water into his mouth, but he showed no sign of waking. She made sure he was comfortable, then went out for the day.

Through some crafty trades and arguing with Plutt she returned home with extra water and some more bacta cream.

He had shifted during the day, but he showed no real sign of waking up. She ate her meal indoors, to keep a better eye on him and give him water. She smeared the cream on his face. Again she fell asleep in the nest of blankets. 

During the night she woke, wondering what had awakened her. Then she was aware of gentle fingers playing with her hair. She lifted her head and looked into the bleary eyes of the man. They stared at each other for a long time when he opened his mouth and croaked out a question, “Water?”

Rey got one of the purchased bottles and held it for him, “Carefully.”

He propped himself up a bit and took a couple of swallows, then pulled back and laid back down. She set the bottle aside. He breathed like those simple motions had exhausted him. She brushed his hair out of his face and said, “I’m Rey, what’s your name?”

He struggled, looking frantic and exhausted at the same time. Finally he let out a soft breath followed by “Ben.” He lay there breathing a big hard for a few moments, “Other than my name, there’s not much I know, who I am, where I’m from, nothing. I don’t know how I got here, wherever here is.”

“You’re on Jakku, I found you collapsed outside in a sandstorm. You’ve slept a couple of days, I’ve been giving you water, but you probably really need to eat something.”

She helped him sit up while she heated up a quarter portion. With her help he ate about half of it. She covered the plate with a reasonably clean cloth and set it down where he could reach it.

“My clothes?”

“Over there.”

“Did you go through them?”

“You had no identification in your pockets. I found nothing at the spot where I found you unless it was small and taken by the sand and winds.”

She left him the next day to do her scavenging. He indicated he would snack on his leftover quarter portion and probably sleep.

She returned to find he had put his undermost shirt and his pants on and was working on her most confounding part. It took her breath away just a little bit when he smiled at her in greeting.

They ate outside, sharing dinner off her only plate, enjoying the company of each other and the quiet of a desert settling down for the evening.

*

“Why the marks?” He pointed to the wall one evening after they had settled down to eat dinner. 

“Just keeping a tally of how long it’s been since my parents left me here.”

“Why?”

“They promised to come back for me.”

“But what if they don’t?”

Rey stared at him, “They will.” She looked at the plate she did not even remembering licking clean. “They will!” She got to her feet, grabbed her staff and shot off into the desert, frustrated and scared at what he was implying, without him having to speak the implication. It was like that with him, she knew what he was going to say, what he was feeling without him having to say anything. 

She returned just after dark, her leeriness of the dangers after dark overriding her unhappiness at the truth she kept from herself.

She entered the shelter and found him sitting on the bed, fiddling with a part. He was quiet and morose, and his face was red as if…

“Have you been crying?”

Ben set the part down with a little more force than needed, “At least your family knows where you are. I’m not even sure I have a family and if I do they probably don’t know where I am. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Rey sat next to him and they leaned into each other, “I realize they may know where I am, but they haven’t come for me.” She waved her hand at the wall of tally marks. “I don’t know if they don’t want to come back for me, or if they are unable to. I stay here on Jakku because I just don’t know, but I’m afraid of missing them if they come and I’ve left.” She choked back a sob, “I only have a glimpse of their faces.” He held her while she cried.

“I get more feelings than actual images, I sense that my father is a scoundrel and my mother is beautiful like a princess. I have a vague memory of clinging for dear life to a Wookie.”

*

Rey looked at him, “Are you sure?”

“Positive, I’m feeling restless hanging out here, doing nothing, I want to help earn my keep.”

Rey smiled and dug in a pile to find some old goggles, “You’re going to need these, follow me and what I do.”

“You lead and I will follow you.”

Rey showed Ben her way into the wreck she had been scavenging. He followed her up the cable and followed her as she showed him where to look for the best parts. He studied where they were and told her he was going to look through the crew quarters for things he might need sooner rather than later. 

“I’ll be back soon.” He jumped off and quickly disappeared into the wreck. Rey worried about him but returned to prizing the parts from the wreck. 

She heard him long before she saw him, his mellow voice belting out what sounded like a drinking song in a language she did not recognize. She turned and watched as he expertly climbed up to where she was. He made the last jump very gracefully, and Rey looked at the bag curiously and he let her peer inside. She saw a second plate, eating utensils, some clothes and a device she could not immediately recognize. “What’s that?”

He pulled it out and deployed it, then collapsed it back down, “A collapsible baton. If Niima outpost is as rough as you say I’m going to need more than my fists.” Rey smiled behind her covers and he looked over her shoulder. “Need help with that?” 

“It’s being a bit stubborn.”

He crawled over her, braced himself, then with a mighty tug, the outer panel came off and dropped to the ground far below.

“With just that you’ve earned your keep.”

They gathered a few more parts and then she led him to a cable. She leapt to it and slid down. He waited until she was on the ground before doing it himself. They divided their finds between two pieces of metal and she showed him how to sit then slide down the dune on it. A little hesitantly he followed her. 

Rey looked over at the man still sitting on the metal plate. “Ben?”

“I think I’ve done this before.” He reached over and scooped up a handful of sand, “It wasn’t sand, it was white and cold, I was smaller, and I want to say I was on a disk with a Wookie.” He shook his head as he accepted Rey’s help off the metal plate and he helped her load the speeder, getting on behind her for another precariously balanced ride.

They arrived at Niima Outpost and Rey pulled the netting bag down and began hauling it then jumped a little when Ben grabbed the other end of the bag. She looked at him, and it was obvious no one had ever been so considerate. She led the way to the washing tables.

After the parts were cleaned up and the washing table operator took his payment they headed off to wait in line for Unkar to make an offer.

She had brought one of the refurbished parts that Ben had restored to working order. Unkar hemmed and hawed over the parts, trying to get a read on Ben, who already had a pretty good read on him. “What you have brought me is worth…” He hated giving out decent numbers of portions but she had really delivered and the man with her looked like a troublemaker. “Three portions.”

Ben heard the mutterings from the people still in line nearby and knew that this was an uncommonly generous payout but there was a part of him that suspected they were still being cheated somehow. Rey just took the portions and they left together.

Ben turned and looked over at one of the ships parked just outside of the outpost, as Rey was stowing his satchel on the speeder and she looked at Ben. “Ben?”

He shook his head, “I could swear I know that ship.”

Rey looked where he was looking, “The garbage? That ship hasn’t flown in years.”

Ben shook his head and jumped on the speeder behind her, “Just something familiar about it.”

*

Over the next few days they made a middling amount of portions and he continued to roam the living quarters of the ship scavenging bedding and extra clothing. He seemed to know when she needed him and he helped her wrestle apart stubborn panels to get at better salvage.

Then one night she entered the shelter to find him fluffing up the new bedding, making her bed larger. “Ben?”

“Big enough for us to share, I know the floor is not where you should be sleeping.”

“I don’t…”

He silenced her with a look. 

Rey sighed, “I prefer to sleep naked.”

“I prefer to sleep naked too, facing the door.” He grabbed a stiff foam pole. “A buffer for us.”

Rey smiled at his consideration and the began bedding down for the night, Rey letting him crawl in first so his back was against the wall.

*

“Ow.” he said.

“Sit still.” She admonished him.

“Better keep with the cowl.” 

“Are you afraid of being recognized?” she asked.

“A little bit but I don’t want a sunburn like this again.”

Rey smiled at him, “So you’re hiding from the sun.”

“Yes I am.” He impulsively leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “The biggest baddest gangster of all.”

*

Unkar Plutt now knew he had a problem. Ever since the freak sandstorm weeks ago the girl Rey had been acting strangely, arguing over what he gave her for her salvage, intent on getting more than usual. He had also heard that she had bartered for medical supplies but she did not seem injured. Now she showed up with a male human and although Unkar was no expert on human behavior he seemed to be more than a partner, closer to a mate. Unkar was irritated, if they chose to breed she might be out of commission for however long a human gestation was, worse that that he was reasonably sure that human children were helpless blobs for years. She was one of his most profitable workers, this was not going to work for him. He did the only thing he could think of, he sent two of his best men to take him out.

Ben sometimes helped carry the salvage for Rey, but sometimes she could carry all of it and he wandered the outpost. Today was small finds and he was exploring when he felt a sensation of warning. He pulled his baton free and kept it in his hand. The men rushed him and he deployed the baton hitting the first attacker in the head. The second brute grabbed him by the arm and Ben stomped on the creature’s foot, then swung the baton and hit the creature in the face, causing it’s rebreather to crack and what smelled like methane gas beginning to leak out. He watched as Plutt’s men got up and scurried away.

Ben stood and studied the baton in his hand, an impression of a different weapon in it flittered across his mind, but then was gone again. He collapsed the baton, returned it to his belt, adjusted his hood and went to join Rey who was still waiting in line.

“Ben!” she cried, sensing he had been in a scuffle.

“I’m fine, just some thugs.”

Unkar did not like this man, he seemed to understand that Unkar was vastly underpaying his workers. And he had indeed taken out the men he sent to take him out. This man was dangerous.

*

Rey hung back, listening to the man complimenting Ben’s work, offering Ben a job, travel to far off places, or just to somewhere else than Jakku. Ben refused the offers, took his pay for the day’s work and joined Rey at the speeder. “Was it a good offer?” she said, not looking up.

He reached over and lifted her chin, “You’re not ready to leave yet. And I won’t leave you.”

Rey smiled and wrapped Ben in an embrace.

They ate dinner and they talked about their day. Ben was halfway undressed when he got popped in the head by the foam bumper that Rey was pulling out of the bedding, “Oh no! I’m sorry!” she squeaked.

“You trust me that much? Even though my body occasionally betrays me?”

“Yes, I do. No one has ever considered me before themselves.” She removed the remainder of her clothes and beckoned for him to climb in first.

*

Palika scrubbed at the parts in front of her. “Where’s Rey?” she asked Ben sitting at the station across from her.

“She wasn’t feeling well so I let her sleep.”

“She’s picked herself a good mate.” Palika smiled at his wry chuckle. He got up when finished, then handed her a piece of his salvage, “You dropped this.”

Palika took the gift and said, “Someone raised you right.”

“Yes, a Wookie.” they both chuckled as he walked off.

Unkar was not as amused. He hemmed and hawed over the selection Ben had brought him for what seemed a long time. “Where’s the girl?”

“Sand sick, resting.” 

Unkar hemmed and hawed a bit more, not unaware of Ben’s fierce scrutiny. “What you have brought me is worth … three quarters of a portion.”

“Really, do you just make this up as you go along? Because I have been paying attention and once I find something to write on I will make you a chart that shows all your inconstancies.”

Unkar snarled softly, “Watch it boy.” He shifted around then slapped a whole portion in front of Ben. “Send the girl next time.”

Rey woke up and frowned. She knew by the light level that it was evening time and for a brief moment panicked that she had slept all day, wasting her working hours. She calmed herself then had another worrying thought, had she only dreamed of a mate?

She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt his warm presence in the back of her mind and saw the signs of his presence scattered around the shelter, a torn glove, a second dinner plate, the eating utensils.

She heard the speeder approaching and laid back down.

Ben entered the shelter filling the doorway and smiled – smiled! – at her. “Feeling better, sweetheart?”

“I’ve been better.” She propped herself up, “You went out.”

“Unfortunately we live too close to the edge for me to sit here and take care of you like you deserve. Got lucky today. A whole portion, barely had to argue.”

He talked while he puttered around, preparing a half portion for them both, setting out the water for the bread, heating up the hot plate. “Do you want to sit outside, air out the bedding, get some fresh air?”

“Sounds good.” She watched as he stooped and added a mark to the wall, “You hate that.” She waved her hand at the tally marks.

He gave her one of his intense looks, “It’s important to you.”

Rey gasped at the feelings that statement brought up. She nodded and let him help her get dressed. He picked her up and carried her outside, then brought out their plates after spreading out the bedding to air out.

*

Ben found himself in what had been a detention level. Something had drawn him here when all he really wanted to do was get back to Rey and finish their day. He pulled a random drawer free and looked at several items that must have been taken from multiple prisoners. One item caught his attention, a crystal wrapped with wire on a chain meant to be worn around the neck. He pocketed this item, saw nothing else useful, then went to join Rey.

They both looked at the crystal in the sunlight. “Plutt…”

“Will never see this. I think I should hang on to this. Feels important.”

*

Rey flinched as he put the spray on her cut before putting the cream on it. “Can’t believe I did that.” She said.

“You didn’t do it on purpose.”

“I can’t climb like this.”

“Sweetheart…” Ben sighed as he finished wrapping her hand and placed a kiss on it. “I will help you. You don’t have to do all of this by yourself. You are not alone anymore.”

Rey smiled and leaned in and kissed him. He cradled her head in his hand as the kiss deepened, but still blocked her from using her injured hand. Rey rested her forehead against his and panted, “I want to be with you, I want all of you.”

“I want that too, hold on,” he reached out and picked up a packet of patches. “Only if you’re sure.”

She smiled at the contraceptive patches, “I’m sure. You bartered for those?”

“I may not remember much, but bargaining seems to be one of my inborn talents.”

Rey smiled as he applied the patch to his hip then helped her out of the rest of her clothes and applied the companion patch to her hip. He pulled off the rest of his clothes then joined Rey in the bed. She gasped as his erection brushed against her and he kissed her, then around to her ear to whisper, “You are in control, if you want us to stop, we stop.”

Rey responded by kissing him and rolling onto her back, pulling him on top of her. He pressed her injured hand over her head and out of the way. Rey moaned as he probed her folds with his fingers, making her moan and cry out, and while she loved when he did this previously, she was eager for more. She spread her legs further apart and he settled between them. She cried out as he made her come, then gasped as she felt his cockhead nestle into her folds. She met his gaze and nodded.

He began pushing into her, slowly, making them both groan and pant. He kissed her once he was fully seated. They lay panting then he began moving, thrusting slowly at first, but as Rey’s cries egged him on, he began moving faster and faster.

Rey came first, wailing in ecstasy, her walls clamping down on him, which tipped him into his own orgasm, spilling inside of her.

Still entwined, he pulled them onto their sides. They kissed and curled into each other, relishing in the pleasurable exhaustion they both felt. Rey smiled when he checked her bandaged hand before dropping off to sleep. 

*

They had not seen Palika at the tables in a few days. Ben leaned over Rey’s shoulder and said, “We can stop at her place on the way home.”

“Her home isn’t on the way.” Rey looked at the empty place at the table. “But maybe we should.”

Palika’s home was a rough metal hut anchored to a rogue boulder not far from Niima Outpost. Ben hopped off the speeder and followed Rey to the hut. He found her standing in the hut, staring down at the wizened body on the floor. The place had clearly been stripped, but Palika’s body had not been disturbed.

Rey dropped to her knees next to the old woman, “She used to share her food, her _water_.” Rey shook her head in bewilderment. “She found a fancy brush and gave it to me.”

“The one you still use? The fancy silver one?”

Rey nodded and gently patted Palika’s thin white hair. “We can’t leave her like this.”

Ben looked around, “We can bury her behind this hut. Sheltered behind her shelter.”

They wrapped Palika in her thin bed linens and went to dig the grave. Ben carried Palika from her hut and laid her carefully in the grave and he and Rey covered her.

It was too dark when they got home so they made dinner inside that night. Ben watched as Rey held the plate in her hands, but only ate with Ben prompting her.

Rey cried that night and let Ben hold her. “I don’t want to end up like that Ben, dying alone in tiny hut, alone. Here.”

Ben kissed her cheek. “You have me, I am not leaving you, but we can leave if the chance presents itself.”

Rey nodded, then turned and they shared a couple of kisses before snuggling down in each other’s arms for the night.

*

They were finished with dinner and were leaning against each other, content with each other’s quiet company when Rey sat up, “Do you hear that?”

Ben listened, “Sounds like a BB unit.”

Rey stood, listened, turned, grabbed her staff and dashed off in the direction of the sound. She saw Teedo with a BB unit in a net. She charged toward him, demanding he let it go, pulling out her knife and freeing the droid. “Parqual zatana!”

Teedo protested but Ben piped up with a stern, “Noma!” and deployed his collapsible baton as a further incentive.

Teedo said something intensely impolite and steered his beast away. The BB unit piped up with some angry beeps and was shushed by Rey.

“That's just Teedo. Wants you for parts. He has no respect for anyone.” She knelt next to the droid, “Your antenna's bent.”

“He’s in really good shape.” Ben said keeping his eye on the retreating Teedo. “That might even be a custom paint job.”

“Where do you come from?” Rey asked the droid.

Ben snorted a laugh at the droid’s reply. Rey replied, “Classified. Really? Us too. Big secret.” She stood, “Niima Outpost is that way, stay off Kelvin Ridge. Keep away from the Sinking Fields in the north, you'll drown in the sand.” She collected her staff and Ben collapsed his baton and they headed back to their shelter. 

The droid followed beeping sweetly and sadly. “No!” Rey said then caught Ben’s face, “No!” she said to him.

“Oh come on, he won’t take any food or water.” He waved his hand at where Teedo had disappeared, “The desert is unkind to all at night.”

Rey sighed and looked at the BB unit, then jerked her head in the direction of the shelter. The droid made a giddy noise, “But in the morning you go.”

Ben smiled at her reply, knowing there was no fierceness behind it.

They arrived at Niima Outpost and Ben grabbed the droid and helped him to the ground, then walked around to help Rey with the day’s haul. “Don't give up. He still might show up. Whoever it is you're waiting for. Classified. I know all about waiting.”

The droid beeped a question and Rey answered, “For my family, or a chance to leave.”

Rey grabbed her end of the netting and Ben grabbed his and they headed for the washing tables, the droid in their wake. 

Ben listened to the reply the droid gave him. “Really?”

“Why is the date so important?”

“I think I know how old I am, and the date he gave isn’t too far off the mark, I hope to someday find my family too, Sweetheart.” He said sadly, then perked up as she pushed her face into his cowl to give him a kiss.

Finally it was their turn and Rey placed the items in front of Unkar. 

“These five pieces are worth... Let me see here... One half portion.”

“Oh, by the Maker, they were a half portion each last week and no market moves that fast.” Ben grumbled with a bit of a feral snarl in his voice, “I’m beginning to think you just…”

Ben broke off when Rey hissed at him, “Ben!” she turned to Unkar, “He’s right, they were a half portion each last week.”

“What about the droid?”

“What about him?” Rey said no less perturbed than Ben and really not liking Unkar’s interest. 

“I'll pay for him.” Unkar reached behind him and slapped down several bags of portions. “Sixty portions.”

Rey was stunned by the offer, Ben was instantly suspicious, his own instincts screaming danger. Rey twitched a hand toward the bags of portions but pulled it back, glancing at Ben, feeling not just his great unease, but her own as well.

“Actually... the droid's not for sale.” She grabbed the half portion, then nodded and Ben and the droid followed her. “Come on.”

They walked off and Unkar snarled in fury, mostly at the male. Unkar remembered a time when the girl was compliant and obedient before he arrived. He snatched up a communicator and barked an order, “Follow the girl and get that droid.” He slammed the window, “And kill the male this time.”

“Why do you argue with him, every single time?”

“He is cheating us. And by us I mean all of the scavengers and probably cheats everyone who has to for whatever reason come through here.”

Rey was more frustrated than angry. “He’s going to have you killed.” She choked back a sob, “Then I’ll be alone again.”

“Oh sweetheart…” he turned and deployed his baton as the first thug attacked him. Another went to bag the droid and two descended on top of Rey. Ben snatched the knife out of one of the thugs and threw it at the head of the thug trying to bag the droid. Rey was easily taking care of the thugs attacking her. Ben got one on the ground and then smashed in its face with a powerful kick. The other lunged at Ben who swung his baton at its throat. It moved but not fast enough and its twin noses broke with a snap. He whirled around to see Rey dispatch the last thug. 

He knelt and pulled the bag off the droid, “Okay Classified, time to talk. BB8, nice to meet you.”

BB8 did a brief visual survey, then began excitedly beeping about someone wearing his master’s jacket. Rey turned in the direction indicated and asked, “Who? Him?” then took off.

Ben got up and followed BB8 who was following Rey chasing the stranger through the outpost. He loved her but once she got her blood up she was hard to stop. 

When he caught up with her she had already clobbered the stranger sending him to the ground.

“What’s your hurry, thief?”

“What?! Thief?” the man on the ground asked, then yelped, “OW! HEY!” as BB8 shocked him. 

“The jacket! This droid says you stole it!” Rey said to the man as Ben loomed over them, keeping an eye out for dangers.

“I've had a pretty messed up day, alright? So I'd appreciate it you stop accusing me - OW!” he yelped as BB8 zapped him again. “Stop it!”

“Where'd you get it? It belongs to his master.”

“It belonged to Poe Dameron. That was his name, right?”

BB8 beeped an affirmative and Ben had a flash of a boy with dark hair, holding onto an adult version. Ben returned his attention to the man on the ground.

“He was captured by the First Order. I helped him escape but our ship crashed.” He paused, then continued, “Poe didn't make it. Look, I tried to help him. I'm sorry.” BB8 rolled off and Ben struggled to remember more about the dark-haired boy as the memory drifted away. He caught Rey’s look of confusion and concern but shook his head and she nodded her understanding.

The man got up off the ground and Rey asked, “So you're with the Resistance?”

“Yes. I am. I'm with the Resistance, yeah.”

Ben studied the stranger, then snorted softly in disbelief. The stranger did not seem to notice.

“I've never met a Resistance fighter before.” Rey said sounding a little bit impressed. Ben met her gaze and she saw he was not the least bit impressed. She tilted her head in curiosity. His only answer was a shrug.

Oblivious to their silent conversation the stranger continued. “Well, this is what we look like. Some of us. Others look different.”

Ben sighed as Rey said, “BB8 says he's on a secret mission, he has to get back to your base.”

“Apparently he's carrying a map that leads to Luke Skywalker, and everyone's after it.”

Ben sucked in a breath at the mention of Luke Skywalker, the image of a man with blue eyes holding a green lightsaber. He staggered slightly and Rey took his hand, giving it a squeeze. He turned and addressed the stranger, “Master Skywalker? I thought he was a myth. Just like the rest of the…” he whirled, something dangerous on the edge of his perception, BB8 beeping an alarm as well.

“What is it?”

The stranger gasped when he spotted the stormtroopers. He grabbed Rey’s hand and ran off. Ben scowled and followed.

“What are you doing?!” She growled as he led her through the outpost, Ben and BB8 in their wake as the stormtroopers fired at them.

“Come on!”

“Let go of me!” Rey shouted trying to pull her hand free, but also trying to avoid being shot at.

“No, we gotta move!”

She yanked her hand free. “I know how to run without you holding my hand! BB8 stay close! This way!”

They ducked into a tent taking a few seconds to catch their breath. Ben grabbed the stranger by the shoulder and snarled in his face, “Now we’re marked, just by being with you. Aren’t we?”

“Well, thanks for that!” Rey groused to the stranger

“I'm not the one who chased you down with a stick! Does anyone have blasters around here?” 

Ben shushed him, listening, “Ion engines! What have you gotten us into?”

The stranger grabbed Rey’s hand again an took off, Ben following, calling out, “Keep that up and she’ll take it off!”

“Stop taking my hand!”

A blast from one of the TIE fighters sent them sprawling in the tent’s destruction. Another blast sent even more debris into the air.

Rey recovered then gasped, “BEN!”

“I’m all right, BB8?”

“Hey!” Rey asked the stranger, “You all right? Come on!” Rey turned and ran, Ben, BB8, and the stranger all following in her wake.

The stranger shouted, “We can't outrun them!”

“We might in that quad-jumper!”

“We need a pilot!”

“You’ve got two!”

“You?”

“Both of us!” Ben shouted as they made a beeline for the quad-jumper.

“What about that ship?”

“That one's garbage!”

The TIE fighters screamed overhead and one of them took out the quad-jumper. They skidded to a halt and Rey said, “The garbage will do!” and changed course, following Ben to the ship.

They charged up the ramp and into the ship. Ben headed instinctively to the cockpit, hearing Rey order the stranger into the gunner’s position. 

“Ben?”

“Except for that compressor I would swear I’ve flown this ship before.” He lifted the ship off the ground and left the outpost. He kept low to the ground as the TIE fighters chased them. 

“You need to keep us low!” the stranger shouted, “It confuses their tracking!”

Ben snarled, “I fly, you shoot!” he smiled as Rey brought up and angled the shields. He flew out of the outpost and the TIE fighters gave chase. They took several shots and Ben called back, “Are you ever going to shoot anything?”

Ben stayed close to the ground as he zigzagged in and out between the wrecks in the graveyard, the TIE fighters close on their tail. The stranger fired but missed some of his shots, even the ones Ben lined up for him.

Rey hung on, but now understood why the flight simulator held no appeal for Ben, he was a gifted and clearly very skilled pilot.

They were finally able to destroy the TIE fighters and escape to space.

They unbuckled and met in the lounge, all flush with the excitement of the narrow escape. 

“That was some piloting!”

“All him!” Rey said pointing at Ben, “You are an excellent pilot!”

“I do my best.” Ben said aiming for modesty and missing. He smiled and blushed as Rey kissed him on the cheek, giving him a hug. 

“Where did you learn to fly like that?”

“I don’t know.” He answered honestly holding Rey against him, addressing her, “I would burn down the universe for you.”

“Hopefully that won’t be necessary.” They kissed, then Rey turned, “I’m Rey, this is my mate Ben, what’s your name?” Ben wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“Finn.”

BB8 beeped an inquiry and Rey knelt next to him.

“You're ok. He's with the Resistance. He's going to get you home. We all will.”

There was a pop and steam began pouring from the deck plating. Alarms began blaring.

“Help me with this! Quick!” Rey cried as Ben and Finn stooped to help.

“What’s going on?”

Rey hopped down and looked over the situation, “It's the motivator! Grab me a Harris wrench, check in there!” Rey disappeared back down the hole and Ben hopped down to join her. 

“How bad is it?” 

“If we want to live, not good!”

“They're hunting for us now, we got to get out of this system!” Rey popped up and took the wrench.

“BB8 said the location of the Resistance Base is ‘need to know’ if we’re taking you there, we need to know!” Rey ducked back down.

Finn beckoned BB8 over and whispered urgently, “You gotta tell us where the base is.” BB8 beeped in hesitation, “I don't speak that. Alright, between us, I'm not with the Resistance, okay?” BB8 beeped and Finn continued, “I'm just trying to get away from the First Order but you tell us where your base is, I'll get you there first, deal?” BB8 looked at him slightly sideways. “Droid, please!”

Ben popped up, “Pilex driver, hurry!” While Finn was fetching the tool Ben asked, “So where's your base?”

“Go on BB8, tell him.” Find dug for the tool, “Please!” he asked softly.

BB8 hesitated for a few seconds then beeped out the answer.

“The Ileenium system?” Ben took the tool from Finn, “She certainly knows how to pick them.”

“Yeah, the Ileenium system, that's the one!”

Rey popped out of the hole, “We’ll drop you two at Ponemah Terminal. I need the bonding tape, hurry!”

“What about you?”

“We have to get back to Jakku.” She said it and could feel Ben’s disappointment. 

“BACK TO JAK--?! Why does everyone always want to go back to Jakku?!” 

“No, that one! No. No. The one I'm pointing to! No. NO. NO. If we don't patch it up, the propulsion tank will overflow and flood the ship with poisonous gas!”

“YELLOW!” Ben shouted from below.

Finn tossed the correct tape to Rey who went below again. 

“Hey. Rey. You're a pilot, you both are, why go back? You make a great team, you can go anywhere. Got a family?”

Ben popped up, “She has me, now lay off!” he climbed out of the hole as the alarms stopped blaring. He stood at his full height and Finn was suddenly aware of how tall and menacing he was.

Ben was checking a status board as Rey was climbing out when all the lights went off. BB8 beeped nervously. 

Finn said, “That can't be good.”

“No it can't be.” Ben muttered following Rey to the cockpit, muttering, “You piece of junk!” under his breath.

They arrived in the cockpit to discover all the controls were depowered. Rey tried all the controls, “Someone's locked onto us, all controls are overridden.”

Finn peered out of the windows anxiously, “It’s the First Order.”

“Are you sure? They are more of a shoot first and capture the corpses later sort of people.” Ben said dryly.

Suddenly Finn said, “You said poisonous gas…”

“We fixed that.”

“Can you unfix it?”

Rey shook her head in confusion, then Ben said, “Stormtrooper helmets filter smoke but not toxins.”

The trio grabbed gas masks from near the entrance and all piled into the hole, Ben passing BB8 down to Finn, not really caring that Finn got squashed in the process. He helped Rey down then reached out and pulled the grating back over the hole. 

The power returned and the clang of the door being opened. Rey reached out to undo her repair but Ben stopped her, his hand gentle on hers. 

The deck plating was yanked away and Han Solo felt like he had been kicked in the chest. He could not even speak, then managed, “Ben?”

Ben removed the rebreather, an absolute sense of knowing this man but being totally unable to place him. Maneuvering gaps in his memory like this becoming an all too familiar feeling.

Rey had removed her rebreather and said, “He was in a crash and has lost a lot of his memory.”

But Ben somehow just knew, “You’re my father aren’t you?” He turned to look at the Wookie, then raised his hands, and chirped, “Up.” in Shyriiwook.

Chewbacca made a warble but gamely reached down and helped Ben out of the hole. Ben reached back down to help Rey up, leaving Finn to climb out on his own.

Han reached out and touched Ben’s face. Ben put his hand over Han’s and looking into the older man’s face. They embraced, both fighting tears.

Rey did not bother to fight hers. She could tell by the look on Ben’s face that although he did not know the details, the connection was there.

“Where have you been? Where did you find the _Falcon_?”

Ben shrugged while still being held by his father, and answered, “I don’t remember much, I’ve been living on Jakku with Rey for some time now.” He could not stop the tears, “I don’t remember much about you, I just know in my heart that you are my father and he smells familiar.”

Han pressed a brief kiss on Ben then pulled back, “Jakku? That junkyard?” he asked, trying to pull himself together, both of them wiping at their tears, Han keeping one hand on Ben’s shoulder.

Finn said to Rey, “Thank you! Junkyard!”

“Yeah,” Ben said, “Niima Outpost.”

Chewbacca made a warbling noise and Ben chuckled, then finally pulled away from Han to be pulled into a hug with the Wookie. Han said to Chewbacca, “Told you we should've double-checked the Western Reaches.” He turned to Rey, “Who had it, Ducain?”

“We stole it from Unkar Plutt. He stole it from the Irving Boys, who stole it from Ducain.”

“Who stole it from me!”

Rey suddenly put the pieces together, the class of ship that Ben called a YT model Corellian freighter, his familiarity with ship, “This is the _Millenium Falcon_? You're Han Solo? This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs...!

Both Han and Ben corrected her, “Twelve.”

Han shook his head, then patted Ben’s shoulder and made his way forward to the cock pit, muttering under his breath.

Ben stayed put, not really having a choice as Chewbacca refused to let him go. He chuckled when he heard his father’s aggravated voice shout back, “Hey! Some moof-milker put a compressor on the ignition line!”

Ben finally extracted himself from Chewbacca and moved over to hug Rey, who smiled into his broad chest. “Why so unhappy? Or do I know the reason?”

Rey nodded into his chest and he pressed a few kisses into her hair.

Han returned to see the couple hugging. He sighed then asked, “So what happened to prompt your flight from Jakku?”

Rey pulled away to say, “Finn’s with the Resistance, and has to get this droid to their base in the Ileenium system.”

Han saw the skepticism in Ben’s eyes but out loud he asked Finn, “You’re with the Resistance?”

“Yeah, he’s carrying a map to Luke Skywalker.”

Han sighed. “Luke Skywalker.” then, “Jedi master.”

Finn asked, “You knew him?”

Han looked at Ben, “Yeah, I knew him.” There was a loud clang and Han sighed, “I hope that’s not one of the rathtars getting loose.”

“Rathtars?” Ben and Finn exclaimed, Ben not totally surprised, then turned to Chewbacca and asked, “You went along with hauling rathtars?” receiving a grumble as an answer.

They followed Han out of the _Falcon_ and over to a control panel in the larger freighter. Han was looking at a control console. “Ah, it’s the Guavian Death Gang. They must’ve tracked us from Nantoon.” 

Rey asked, “What's a rathtar?”

“Large, ugly, and hungry.” Ben answered, then answered Chewbacca’s question, “I remember some things, a lot is just gone. But let’s be honest here, rathtars? Forgettable?”

“Ever hear of the Trillia Massacre?” Fin asked.

“No,” Rey answered.

“Good.” Finn said.

The followed Han down a corridor. “I got three of them going to King Prana.”

“Three?! How'd you get them on board?” Finn asked.

Han answered, “I used to have a bigger crew.” 

Ben looked at Chewbacca who only murmurer that the facts were true.

Han pulled open a hatch in the floor, “Get below deck and stay there until I say so.” 

Ben sucked in a breath and wobbled for a moment, Rey steadied him then helped him down into the crawlspace. Chewbacca asked if Ben was okay and Rey replied, “Sometimes he’ll have a flash of memory and sometimes they hit him really hard. What about BB8?”

Han looked at his son with concern but got a nod that he was okay. “He stays with me until I get rid of the gang, then you can have him back.”

Finn asked, “What about the rathtars? Where are you keeping them?” Then he jumped as something hit the door behind him and slobbered up the viewport. 

“There's one.”

“What are you gonna do?” Rey asked as she joined Ben in crawlspace.

Ben muttered something Rey could not quite catch about talking his way out of it.

“Same thing I always do, talk my way out of it.” When Chewbacca expressed doubt about this, Han rounded on him, “Yes, I do. Every time.” Han closed the hatch, mostly to not answer Ben asking about a planet with red mountains and a green sky and angry insectoids. “Oh you remember that? Kriff.”

The trio peered up through the grating, trying to get a read on the situation. Rey asked, “Can you see them?”

Finn answered, “No.”

“They don’t feel friendly.” Ben said, quietly crawling slowly toward them, sighing wearily as the other two clattered in the direction of the Guavian Death gang.

Rey caught a glimpse, “They have blasters.”

“A lot of them.” Finn noticed.

“Hence the moniker, ‘Death Gang’ ugh this feels familiar.” He sighed and smiled when Rey put her hand on his arm, “I’m fine sweetheart.”

She squeezed his arm, “I’m beginning to doubt that. But we can deal with that later.” She shifted closer and gave him a kiss.

Finn was feeling steamed, but a loud clanking noise alarmed them and they crawled back the other way, Ben muttering, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

They could hear Han protesting, “I never made a deal with Kanjiklub!”

Ben sighed, “Dad!” then shook his head as Rey and Finn crawled to have a look at the other gang. “They don’t feel any friendlier.”

All three froze when they heard Bala-tik say, “That BB unit, the First Order is looking for one just like it. And three fugitives.”

Rey went to move, but Ben’s hand stayed her movement as the sound of boots on the grating came from the Kanjiklub end of the corridor. A broken beam of light penetrated the crawl space and the three began crawling back the other way, Ben muttering about wampas in a cargo hold.

Rey spotted something and headed for it. “Wait, wait, wait, wait. If we close the blast doors in that corridor, we can trap both gangs!”

Finn asked, “Close the blast doors from here?”

“Resetting the fuses should do it.”

“Please tell me the fuses are labeled.” Ben said.

There were a series loud clangs and clanks, then a series of unearthly howls and wet sloshing noises.

“Oh no.” Rey said.

“Oh no, what?” Finn asked.

Rey answered, “Wrong fuses.”

The corridor above was the scene of utter chaos as Han, Chewbacca and BB8 fled down a corridor trying to avoid the gangs and the rathtars. Han threw a gang member into the rathtar’s path distracting it for a moment, worrying about Ben and his companions.

“This was a mistake!” Finn cried as they crawled though the crawlspace.

“Huge!”

“This way!” Ben shouted, Rey following him, Finn following her.

They popped out of an access panel in a temporarily quiet part of the corridors. “The _Falcon_ is this way!”

They turn the corner and see a rathtars rolling toward them, still chewing on a Kanjiklubber. They turned on the spot and sprinted the other way, Ben leading the way when he heard Rey scream “FINN!”

Ben turned and saw Finn being dragged off by a rathtars, and he reached out, and with the wave of a hand brought the blast door down, chopping off the tentacles. Finn fell to the ground, but quickly got up and joined Rey and Ben in running down the corridor.

“Did you see that?” Finn shouted.

“That was lucky, less talk, more running!” Ben called out.

“Chewie!” Ben shouted as they rejoined Han, Chewbacca and BB8.

“Get on board!” Han shouted as they headed for the ramp. Ben hurried to help Chewbacca.

Han ran for the cockpit, Rey on his heels. Ben closed the hatch then helped Chewbacca to a bunk. Chewbacca said something and Ben asked, “You sure?” he straightened, gave a Finn a slap on the shoulder that almost knocked him over, “You’ve got this!”

“What?”

Ben ran backwards a few steps, “You’ve had first aid training, time to put that to use.” He turned and headed for the cockpit.

Han landed in the pilot’s seat and a few seconds later Rey landed in the copilot’s seat. “What are you doing?”

“Unkar Plutt installed a fuel pump too if we don't prime that we're not going anywhere.”

“I hate that guy.” Han ground out as Ben entered the cockpit. “Who’s looking after Chewie?”

“Finn has it under control.” He slid into the seat behind Rey. 

“Watch the thrust, we're going out of here at lightspeed,”

Ben shook his head and Rey asked, “From inside the hangar? Is that even possible?”

Ben muttered “Don’t ask that.”

Han said, “I never ask that question until after I've done it.”

Rey shrieked as a rathtar landed on the front windshield. Han muttered, “This is not how I thought this day was going to go, angle the shields, Hang on back there!” Finn shouted something but Han ignored it then punched a switch. “Come on baby, don't let me down!” he was shocked nothing happened.

Rey reached over and hit a few switched, whispered, “Compressor.” Then Han hit the switches and the _Falcon_ shot out of the hanger at lightspeed.

The cockpit was alive with alarms and sparks. 

Han called out, “Electrical overload!”

“I can fix that!” Rey called as Ben popped open a panel behind her.

“The coolant's leaking!” he called.

“Try transferring auxiliary power to the secondary tank…”

“…Secondary tank, I got it!”

Han looked at the readouts, “This hyperdrive blows there's going to be pieces of us in three different systems.” He looked around when the systems suddenly normalized. He looked around, “What'd you do?”

Ben held out a piece of electronics freshly torn from the panel. “I by-passed the compressor.”

Rey smiled at him and Han did his best to hide his pride in his son and failed. “Hey Ben, we need to talk.” Han looked pointedly at Rey in the copilot’s seat. 

Ben sat behind her and said, “We’re together.” He reached forward and took Rey’s hand.

Han gave the couple a grim smile, remembering how he had held Leia when she had delivered similar news like the news he was about to deliver. Han had always been a straightforward man, so he delivered a condensed history of Ben’s life. 

“When you were about ten we, your mother and I, sent you to train as a Jedi with your uncle Luke Skywalker, primarily because of your connection to the Force, oh don’t tell me you don’t remember what the Force is.” He covered his face, counted in three languages, then resumed, “We’ll get back to that in a bit. We sent you, unaware that the Leader of the First Order, an evil son-of-a-bitch named Snoke was luring you to the dark side. Eventually he did that, the academy was burnt to the ground and Luke went into hiding. You became Snoke’s apprentice for several years, known as Kylo Ren. He only wanted you for your powers, and we both worried that once he had no further use for you, that he would discard you. I can only assume that is what happened to you. He must have destroyed your memory in the process of destroying you.”

Rey moved from the co-pilot’s seat to Ben’s lap so he could rest his head on her shoulder. She carded her hands through his hair as he digested the news. “This Snoke asshole, he must’ve used the Force to destroy my memory.” He said finally.

“Except for sun and sand burn he didn’t have a mark on him, nothing recent.”

Ben looked at her, “You’re not scared? Frightened of the monster I am?”

Rey frowned at him. “You’re no monster. You were a lost boy, now a man with a problem. I’ve seen your soul, Ben. You release bugs outside and thrash creeps who try to hurt me. You can’t sleep with your back to the door, and I feel so safe in your arms.” Rey gave him another kiss then rested her forehead against his. “Even if you climb through the wreckage like a Wookie.”

“Haha, you’re so funny sweetheart.” Ben said, getting to his feet, depositing her in the chair and sliding into the co-pilot’s seat as the ship approached its destination.

“Where’s Finn?”

“Being kept busy.” Ben answered, then looked at Han, “That’s what this,” he mimicked the hand sign, “Means?”

Han smiled, “Yeah, son, that’s what that means.”

*

Takodana was beautiful, also hauntingly familiar. “Have I been here before?” Ben asked.

Han steered the Falcon and said, “Yes, and Maz may recognize you.”

Ben turned and asked, “Rey? Are you okay?”

“I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy.”

Ben looked back at the scenery in front of the ship, “Remember me telling you of those dreams I had of other planets? Every color you can imagine and some you can’t.”

Han chuckled and shook his head as he took the _Falcon_ in for a landing. 

Rey walked down the ramp of the Falcon and just breathed in the air. Ben followed her at more leisurely pace, coming to stand next to her. Ben took her hand and put a blaster in it, “Do you know how to use one of these?”

Rey aimed at a random tree, “You pull the trigger.”

He chuckled, leaned over and kissed her on her cheek, “Don’t forget the safety.” He pulled the hood of his cowl up and they followed Han, Finn, and BB8 toward a castle in amongst the trees.

“Solo, why are we here again?” Finn asked.

“To get your droid on a clean ship.”

“Clean?” Rey asked, holding Ben’s hand as they walked.

“Do you think it was luck that Chewie and I found the _Falcon_? If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind. Want to get BB8 to the Resistance? Maz Kanata is our best bet.”

“We can trust her, right?” Finn asked nervously.

“Relax, kid. She's run this watering hole for a thousand years. Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare…”

“At what?” both Rey and Finn asked.

“Any of it.”

They entered a very busy cantina filled with music and the chatter of dozens of overlapping conversations. Ben squeezed Rey’s hand as she was temporarily overwhelmed. Then their entrance was noticed by a tiny wizened figure at the bar.

“HAN SOLO!” Maz called out. Everything in the bar stopped.

“Oh boy.” Han muttered, then louder to be heard over the nearly silent room, “Hey, Maz!”

Maz walked over to the party, looking up at Han, “Where’s my boyfriend?” Then she spotted Ben. “Ben Solo?”

“What’s left of him.” He tried to sound casual.

“Chewie’s working on the Falcon.” Han said.

Maz smiled, “I like that Wookie. I assume you need something. Desperately. Let's get to it.”

Maz got them seated and food laid out and a special plate landed in front of Ben, who looked at it in confusion. Han was launching into why and what he needed when Maz said to Ben, “What’s wrong dear child?”

“I’ve had some issues with my memory, lost huge swaths of it.” He said looking at more food than he had eaten in a week on one plate. Then tugged Rey closer to share with her.

Maz smiled fondly at him, “Those are your favorites, now you were saying, Han?”

Han finished giving her a rundown of his day. Then he reached out to casually snag a food item off Ben’s plate and totally ignored Rey’s very put out look.

Maz laughed gently, “A map to Skywalker himself? You're right back in the mess!”

“Maz, I need you to get this droid to Leia.”

Maz thought it over, “Hmm. No. You've been running away from this fight for too long. Han, nyakee nago wadda. Go home!” 

“Leia doesn't want to see me.”

Maz looked at Han, “She needs to see that boy.”

Han sighed in defeat.

Finn said urgently, “Please, we came here for your help.”

“What fight?” Rey asked as Han reached for something else only to have Ben poke him with an empty skewer.

“The only fight: against the dark side. Through the ages, I've seen evil take many forms. The Sith. The Empire. Today, it is the First Order. Their shadow is spreading across the galaxy. We must face them. Fight them. All of us.”

“There is no fight against the First Order! Not one we can win. Look around. There's no chance we haven't been recognized already. I bet you the First Order is on their way right…” he broke off as Maz adjusted her goggles, seeming to peer into his soul. “What's this? What are you doing?” Maz adjusted her goggles again, then climbed on top of the table to get closer to Finn, Ben rescuing his plate. “Solo, what is she doing?”

“I don't know, but it ain't good.” Han answered.

“If you live long enough you see the same eyes in different people. I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run.”

“You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from. What I've seen. You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us. We all need to run.”

Maz pointed to a pair in the corner, “You see those two? They'll trade work for transportation to the Outer Rim. There, you can disappear.”

“Finn!” Rey exclaimed.

“Come with me.” Finn said to her.

“Watch it buddy or the First Order will be the least of your problems.” Ben snarled, his vicious tone taking Han by surprise, as he had never heard anything like it from his son before.

“What about BB8? We're not done yet. We have to get him back to your base.”

“I can’t.” Finn stood and offered the blaster to Han.

Han waved it off, “Keep it, kid.”

Finn walked off, then Rey got up, leaned over and kissed Ben, “I’ll be right back.”

Han counted three seconds before Ben got up, snatching one more food item off the plate to follow Rey.

Maz leaned over and asked Han, “Who’s the girl?”

Han reached over and snatched something off Ben’s plate, Maz glaring at him, “Hey, not nice tricking the guy who can’t remember. This is my favorite, not his.”

Finn had walked up to the beings pointed out by Maz. “I was told you could get me to the Outer Rim.”

“What are you doing?” Rey asked.

“Don't leave without me.” Finn said before turning to Rey, “I'm not who you think I am.”

“Finn, what are you talking about?”

“I'm not Resistance. I'm not a hero. I'm a Stormtrooper. Like all of them, I was taken from a family I'll never know. And raised to do one thing.” Finn paused, “But my first battle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. So I ran. Right into you. And you looked at me like no one ever had. I was ashamed of what I was. But I'm done with the First Order. I'm never going back. Rey, come with me.”

“I can’t, I have a good thing with Ben, he loves me and I love him just as much.”

Finn felt his heart break at her profession of love for Ben. “Take care of yourself. Please.”

Finn joined the two aliens and they walked out of the bar. Rey sighed in disappointment, then she heard something. She turned and saw a door leading out of the bar, then headed for it, knowing the sound was coming from there.

Unkar Plutt walked into the bar, looking for the girl, steamed that he to come and drag her back to Jakku. She was too useful to be allowed to leave. He spotted her heading to one of the back rooms and gestured for his thugs to follow him. He was focused on following the girl that when the male stepped in his way he was genuinely startled. 

Ben stood in front of Unkar, his hand casually on a blaster on his hip. “So I was right, she is one of your best. Implanted tracker?”

“None of your business, boy.”

“She’s my mate, that makes it my business. It’s a big galaxy, she’s free to do as she pleases.”

“I paid for her.”

“Did her parents promise to come back for her? Or is that just a fiction you spun to keep her on Jakku?” Ben tilted his head, “Do you even remember their names?”

“Never asked their names, paid them thirty silver coins.”

Ben sadly sensed the truth behind his words. “But she’s made you that back hundreds of times over. If she wants to leave, shouldn’t she be allowed that choice?”

“Stay out of things you don’t understand.”

“Not remembering and not understanding are two different things.” Ben said, suddenly taking a step backwards and causing Unkar’s men to collide with each other, knocking themselves out. Unkar pulled a blaster but that arm was grabbed by an angry Wookie who yanked it upwards ripping it off, Ben neatly sidestepping the spray of blood. The arm sailed through the air to land somewhere else in the bar.

“I sort of don’t want to know how I got good at that.” Ben said then suddenly turned his head, “I’ve got to check on Rey.” He exchanged nods with Chewbacca and headed for the basement storage hall.

Rey followed the phantom cries to a basement storage room, BB8 following her. It was full of smaller rooms, some of which might not have been entered in decades. She was drawn to one in particular with an old wooden box. Rey opened the dusty box and reached in to touch the metal thing she found there. 

The visions scared her, terrified her, and had her landing on her rear. She looked over and saw Maz approaching, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gone in there.”

“It called to you, that lightsaber was Luke’s, and his father’s before him and now it calls to you. Take it.”

Rey scrabbled to her feet, “I’m never touching that thing again. I don’t want any part of this.” She turned and ran out of the room, Maz sighed and took a moment to catch her breath. Ben entered the room a few seconds later. “What happened?”

“Luke’s lightsaber called to her…” Maz gestured to the open box in the room.

Ben looked at the open box, seeing a glint of metal from his vantage point and took a step toward it, then reached out his hand. The lightsaber flew through the air and landed in his hand.

Maz looked at Ben, “Is your memory returning?”

“No, I have no idea how I just did that.” He studied it, “The fighting and the climbing can be explained by muscle memory but this, this is the Force speaking to me. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go chase down my mate.”

Rey ran into the woods, followed by BB8, haunted by a vision she could not explain, running as if she could outrun the terror she felt. 

Ben exited the castle then followed the invisible trail Rey left behind, just like on Jakku when he tracked her through the wreck. He concentrated on her trail, not noticing the streaks of fire that were visible in the sky.

Suddenly Ben stumbled, hit the ground in agony. It was if billions of voices had just cried out in fear and panic and were just as suddenly silenced. It was too much for him and he passed out.

Han and Chewie joined the crowd in the courtyard as lights flickered across the sky. Han turned when running feet came up to him, “It’s the Republic! The First Order. They did it!” Finn looked around the crowd, “Where’s Rey?”

Rey finally came to a stop, just not able to run anymore. She leaned against a tree to catch her breath, wondering about the ringing in her head. A series of curious beeps made her turn.

“BB8, what are you doing here, you have to go back!” She knelt and gently touched the droid, “You're too important. They'll help you.”

Rey heard the screaming of TIE fighters and ran to a vantage point where she could see them bombing Maz’s castle. Then she heard noise and saw Stormtroopers. She pulled her blaster, fired, remembered the safety, then fired again taking them out. “C’mon BB8!” she ran for the cover of the deep woods.

She crouched down next to BB8, “You have to keep going, stay out of sight, I'll try to fight them off.” She listened to BB8’s beeps, “I hope so, too.” Rey stood and positioned herself at the mouth of a gully.

Lord Kraken followed the force signature of an immensely powerful force user into the woods, where   
Leader Snoke had said she would be found. His head full of tentacles and dappled purple skin made him stand out from the humans he spent time with. The dappled light of the forest reflected in his inky black eyes.

The troopers were on the trail of the droid and Kraken followed Rey, easily deflecting the shots she fired at him with his red bladed lightsaber. He imagined how she would look in fine clothes and sprawled in his bed, as Leader Snoke had promised. He finally froze her in position, enjoying the look of fear in her eyes. He came within touching distance, “Oh you are so lovely, I will enjoy breaking you.”

“Get away from her.”

Kraken turned and saw a man dressed in rags with a stern look on his face, “This does not concern you.”

“She’s my mate and you are the one who is going to back off.”

Rey watched in terror. Kraken moved swiftly raising his blaster and firing at Ben who bent the path of the bolt and it hit the trees harmlessly. Kraken sighed as if they were making his life hard on purpose, then with an overdramatic sigh of, “Dying by lightsaber is too good for scavenger scum like you.” he drew his lightsaber. He lunged at Ben who ducked the blow, who then pulled out the lightsaber from the bar basement and activated it. 

Kraken was at first absurdly unamused, thinking Ben was no match for him, but Ben proved to be very dangerous indeed, his blows elegant and powerful, his command of the Force an instinctual thing. Kraken found himself thrown against a sturdy tree and was rendered unconscious.

Once Kraken was out his hold on Rey released and she slumped to the ground. Ben closed the lightsaber and grabbed her, “Come on, this way.” He led her deeper into the woods away from the unconscious man.

First Order storm troopers found the unconscious Lord Kraken and carried him back to his shuttle, finding no trace of the subject he was looking for nor the droid they had been ordered to collect. They could not stay, Resistance troops were on the way.

Ben and Rey sat in a sheltered leafy nook and Ben studied the lightsaber in his hands. Rey asked, “Is this just something you knew how to do?”

He nodded, “And that frightens me. What else do I know that could help you or me that I just don’t know?”

Careful not to touch the lightsaber Rey tugged his arm over her, “Remember you described that pull between us? That it brought us together?”

He looked at the woman tucked into his side, “What did you see?”

Rey talked about the vision. Ben listened intently, his focus on her, comforting her fears. They both peered up as they heard airborne craft and realized it was the First Order leaving.

“Oh Ben, what if they found BB8?”

“Somehow I think BB8 is too clever for that.”

“One of your feelings? The Force.” She asked, then Ben nodded.

“Same thing.”

Han stood in front of the landing troop transport and waited. Some troops got off, then she got off and brightened when she saw him. C3PO briefly made a pest of himself but scurried off when he spotted BB8. “Leia, I found Ben….”

She straightened, then gasped and looked past his shoulder. He turned and saw Ben and Rey emerging from the forest, holding hands. When Ben and Leia made eye contact they both froze, stunned into disbelief. Han grabbed Leia’s arm and gently tugged.

They met in the middle of the now wrecked terrain, Ben reaching out hesitantly, “You’re my mother.” 

Leia pulled him into an embrace, sensing what was wrong immediately, “Oh my poor baby.”

Ben let the tears fall, “I don’t remember your name, all I remember is how you smell and that you are beautiful like a princess.”

Leia just held her son, letting her tears fall as well. She became aware of a second strong presence, she tipped her head and asked, “What’s her name?”

“Her name is Rey, and we’re together.”

Leia smiled at the surge of love he felt for her. “And where did you find the lightsaber?”

“Maz had it in her basement.”

“Oh did she?” Leia said as Han made a sarcastic snort.

“General!” a uniformed soldier called, “The area is secure.”

“Good, thanks.” Han told the soldier who looked at Leia, then back at Han and then scurried off.

Ben reached out and Rey stepped up and took his hand as he finally pulled, reluctantly, from his mother.

Leia felt a twinge of regret, that he was so used to stepping away when her work needed her that even without remembering it, he did it. Leia tightened her grip on his hand, “I think you should come with me to the base, you could get a medical checkup.”

“Say it I dare you.” Han said, mischievously.

Leia shot him a look that promised consequences for his mischief. “You could get a decent meal or two, you seem a bit thin.”

Rey smiled at the couple bickering fondly in front of them. 

“Prince Ben it is good to see you are still functioning!” C3PO cried happily. 

Leia looked at Ben’s confused look, then shot Han a look, which he responded with a somewhat helpless look, Chewbacca grumbled out something and Leia turned back to Ben, “I am the Princess of the Alderaani Diaspora but I go by the title of General because I am the leader of the Resistance. As my heir to the position you are a Prince of the Alderaani Diaspora.” Leia half called over her shoulder, “Did you forget that? Again?” She did not need to see the shrug to know the answer. “Will you come to the Ileenium system?’

Ben looked at Rey who nodded and Ben nodded to Leia, who pulled him into a hug. 

*

Snoke’s hologram looked down at Lord Kraken, “You were told where the droid was, you had a legion of soldiers to collect it. You were also told about the girl and told to collect both of them. AND YOU FAILED!”

Kraken kept his head bowed, “My troops assured me they could get the droid and when I tried to obtain the girl her mate showed up. He was a powerful force user with a lightsaber who knocked me out. I only came to on the shut….”

“Describe him.” 

“Human male, nearly two meters tall, muscular, pale skin, dark hair, dressed in rags.”

Snoke snarled, then turned to the side, talking to someone out of Kraken’s view, “General Hargo, you failed to destroy Kylo Ren!” There was a response the Kraken could not hear then, “You will return to the site of the Knight’s massacre and await the arrival of my apprentice, Lord Kraken.”

*

The Ileenium system was beautiful and the base was tucked in a very pleasant valley. Han and Chewbacca brought the Falcon to a halt and lowered the ramp to lead his son…

Han had to stop and despite everything going on around them relish in that thought, then sighed, remembering what else the boy was good at, “Ben!” when the young man looked around Han pointed to the base camp just on the other side of the landing troop transport. Ben reached out and tugged on Rey’s hand, distracting her from the green woods full of life. 

“Was I good at that?”

“Wandering off to go play in the woods, yes.”

Ben just kind of grit his teeth through the exam, even though Dr. Kelonia was kind and gentle. Finally he just rolled off the table, “Sorry, I just couldn’t sit still one more moment.”

“I know, Ben, I know.” They both turned when they heard an affronted noise and Ben shot into the next room. 

“I just need to remove the tracker, it won’t take long.” The med tech promised.

“Ben?” Rey said.

He stepped forward and folded her into his arms, “Plutt already caught up to us on Takodana, remember? I disconnected the power supply, but it would be better to get it out.” He climbed behind her on the bed, cradling her in his arms, “I’ll be here the whole time.”

Leia entered Dr. Kelonia’s office, “What’s your report?”

“I did a full physical and he gave me the same level of cooperation that he always has, I don’t know why I bothered putting ‘bad patient’ in my personal notes on his file.” Kelonia caught the look that Leia gave her, “No physical damage in his brain, so his theory of someone,”

“Snoke!” Leia whispered vehemently.

“Using the Force to erase his memory is probably reasonable at this point. Slight malnutrition, not as bad as Rey’s. What concerns me on the old injuries I saw.” Kelonia indicated Leia should sit and didn’t continue until she did, “Numerous broken and healed bones, old scars on his back, old burn scars on his feet, and he is muscular, possibly over muscled and that may also be…”

“He was abused.”

Kelonia nodded. “and now the trauma of losing his memory risks breaking him the rest of the way. He’s mentally sharp enough to know he’s missing something and whatever happened, happened recently, ending up with him being left on Jakku where Rey found him during a sandstorm. She reported that he slept for days but was able to go with her on her scavenging work after a couple more days of recuperation.” 

Leia leaned forward, “She’s not pregnant, is she?”

“You know I can’t legally tell you that! But they both agreed to get contraceptive shots, which in women have certain eligibility requirements.”

“Where are they now?”

“General Solo found them some fresh clothes and they are getting cleaned up.”

Rey looked at the shower cubicle with great trepidation. They were both standing outside it, naked. Ben holding out his hand as encouragement and she finally stepped inside. She yelped as the warm water hit them, then calmed down to giddy shivers as Ben took the opportunity to rub his hands all over her. She shook out her hair under the spray and he hit the pause button to lift her up and press her against the wall, kissing her as fiercely as he did when they were in bed together. She kept her legs wrapped around him until he shifted her and sank into her, making her moan. He thrust into her and she moaned each time he hit a spot she liked until she came, crying out against his shoulder, him coming with a few shaky thrusts. They shared kisses they came down from their high, finally getting around to getting wet again, then finally soaping up and rinsing off, mostly touching each other the entire time.

Chewbacca made a comment about endorphin laden humans as Ben and Rey joined him in the lounge. Rey blushed and Ben just shook his head with an innocent look and pulled her into his embrace, her back to his front, leaning back against the side of a console. She hummed in happiness as wrapped his arms around her, making her feel safe. He leaned forward, planting soft kisses on her neck as the briefing began. Leia looked over at them, but Ben only shrugged, making Leia roll her eyes then turn to the gathered people, to hear their reports.

Finn watched Rey and Ben from across the room as they waited for the data from the reconnaissance flight. She closed her eyes as Ben nuzzled her neck and held her in his arms. They seemed to be in their own little world. Finn felt a surge of jealousy that Rey was under this man’s sway and attention.

Poe reported, “The scan data from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn's report.”

Snap picked up, “They've somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself.”

Rey was confused and Ben whispered into her ear, “A really big weapon.”

“We're not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale.”

Rey whispered back, “And this is what destroyed that star system?” Ben responded with an affirmative noise. She gasped, “They…” 

“Converted an entire planet into a weapon.” Ben whispered into her ear. “but like a wound to the belly, it’s killing the planet.”

“So it's big.” Han said, his bravado if false, a good imitation.

“How is it possible to power a weapon of this size?” Admiral Ackbar asked.

Finn answered him, “It uses the power of the sun. As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears.” 

“So it kills the sun as well?” Rey asked Ben in a whisper, getting another affirmative noise as an answer, but she could see he was distracted by the look on his mother’s face.

Leia looked up. “The First Order, they're charging the weapon again, now.” She paused, “Our system is the next target.”

“Oh my. Without the Republic fleet, we're doomed.” C3PO cried in distress.

Rey glanced around, “This place can’t be evacuated in time.” 

“Not easily, easier to stop the weapon.”

“Okay, how do we blow it up?” Han said, attracting everyone’s attention. “There's always a way to do that.”

Leia looked around at the assembled people, her gaze apparently lingering on no one in particular, “Han's right.”

“In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator...” Admiral Statura mused.

With more glances at Rey, Finn piped up, “There is one.” He moved around the hologram, “Precinct 47. Here.”

Rey turned around in his arms, “Ben, what if they can’t? What if…”

He took her face in his hands, keeping voice soft and pressing his forehead to hers, “Whatever happens, I am with you. We are together no matter what.” He pulled her into an embrace. 

“I love you.” Rey said, snuggling in tighter.

“I know.” Ben said pressing a kiss into her hair.

“We disable the shields.” Han was saying, then turned to Finn, “Kid, you worked there, what do you got?”

Finn looked at Ben comforting Rey and said, “I can do it.”

“I like this guy.” Han said.

“I can disable the shields. But I have to be there, on the planet.” Finn said.

“We'll get you there.”

Ben snorted, and Leia sighed, “Han, how?”

Han spotted the identical looks from mother and son and said, “If I told you, you wouldn't like it.” Not surprised by the rolled eyes from both.

Poe laid out the plan, “So we disable the shields, take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun. All right. Let's go!”

“Rey! Rey!’

“Finn.”

“When I get back,” He shifted the bag he was carrying over to the _Falcon,_ “We should talk. About us.”

Rey sighed, “You’d better get going, I’ll see you when you get back.”

Finn nodded then walked over to the _Falcon_.

“Chewie, check that donal capitator. Come on. Let's go. Finn, be careful with those, they're explosives.”

“Now you tell me?”

Leia smiled fondly at Han, “No matter how much we fought, I've always hated watching you leave.”

“That's what I did it. So you'd miss me.”

“I did miss you.”

“It wasn't all bad, was it? Huh? Some of it was...good.”

“Pretty good.”

“Some things never change.”

“True. You still drive me crazy.” She let him pull her into a hug. Han looked up as Ben came over to them.

Leia reluctantly pulled away and Han walked over to Ben and pulled him into a hug. They finally pulled back and Ben handed him a pair of small objects. “I’ve run these through a code reader, they list a General Hux as the keycard holder.” He shrugged, “Just in case.”

Leia looked on and shook her head, “How did you come upon them?”

“They were in a secret pocket in one of my boots.” At her look he continued, “Pick pocketing most likely.”

Han smiled at Ben with pride, “Take care of your mother.” He hugged Ben one more time before the pair turned and headed back to the base, collecting Rey on the way.

Ben and Rey stood with others watching the readouts and the status on the battle. Rey was finally becoming aware of the looks being sent their way, “Ben, are we being stared at?”

Leia suspected word had leaked but she did not really have time to deal with that but equally did not want to send them out of the control room.

“They’ve just never seen such a pure and beautiful soul like you.”

Leia rolled her eyes and sighed, admiring her son’s interpretation of his father’s style. 

A technician called out, “General, their shields are down!”

“Thank the Maker!” C3PO cried out

“Han did it! Send them in!” Leia cried out, her pride in Han clear in her voice, at least to Ben.

“Give Poe full authorization to attack!”

“Black Leader, go to sub-lights. On your call.”

Rey wrapped her arm around Ben who gave her a squeeze.

Connix called out, “General, are you seeing this?”

Another technician called out, “Two more X-wings down. That's half our fleet destroyed.”

“And their weapon will be fully charged in ten minutes! It would take a miracle to save us now.” C3PO cried.

“The Oscillator's been damaged but is still functional.” Admiral Ackbar said. 

“Admiral, their weapon will fire in two minutes.”

Rey shuddered and Ben looked at her, “C’mon sweetheart.”

“But…”

“Come here.” He pulled her out of the control room to a quiet corner, holding her. “Just breathe, that’s right sweetheart.” They could hear cries and exclamations, but Rey focused on Ben, his hands gentle in her hair, his body warm against hers.

Leia found them there and reached out and touched Ben’s arm. “Is she all right?”

“More people than she’s used to being around. And the high emotions, I feel like they have something to do with it.”

Leia smiled at her son, “That’s right.”

Rey jerked her head up, “Something’s happened.”

Leia reached out and touched Rey’s face. “Finn got hurt, I don’t have the details but they are on their way back.” Rey nodded. “Ben, why don’t you and Rey go sit down in the cafeteria, have something to eat…” Leia frowned then took Rey’s hand in hers. “You don’t have to worry about working for food here. No one goes without at least one meal a day around here.”

*

“General, it could be a trap.” The intelligence officer stated.

Leia looked at her son and his mate at a table in the cafeteria, off in a corner by themselves. “Not a trap.”

“With all due respect…” Leia managed to not roll her eyes, “He may be able to fool you especially if Snoke – “

“Snoke is the bastard who used him, broke him, and discarded him.” Leia fought to keep her voice down. “I look into his eyes and I know it is my son Ben Solo looking back at me.”

*

Ben and Rey followed Leia out to greet the returning ships. The trio made a beeline for the Falcon, parting only to allow the medical trolley to pass with Finn on it. Han and Chewbacca were standing at the base of the ramp but Han moved to embrace Leia, pressing a kiss to her temple. He then pulled away to pull his son into a hug.

Han began telling of what had happened, Leia listening intently, as they walked back to base. Ben and Rey followed them hand in hand, Chewbacca following them.

The control room was quiet when the family arrived there. The quiet of the room was interrupted by the sound of excited droidspeak.

“General? Excuse me, General?” C3PO called out, “R2D2 may contain some much-needed good news.”

“Tell me.” Leia said.

They watched as the R2D2 and BB8 projected their respective maps to produce a complete map. 

“Oh! The map! It is complete!” C3PO cried.

“Luke.” She turned to Han who was studying the map. 

“We can leave in the morning.”

“We?”

“Me, Chewie, Ben, Rey?”

Leia looked stricken, “I’m not sure…”

“Mom.” Leia turned, having not heard him say that in years, Ben continued, “I know you are trying to protect me, but I need help. I don’t know if my memory has been blocked or destroyed, but maybe he can tell. People avoid me, they are scared of me, I need to know things.” He reached out hesitantly, and Leia took his hand without hesitation. “I know you love me and want to protect me, but I need to do this.”

Leia nodded, “I know, I just feel like I lost you when I sent you away the last time.”

Ben pulled his mother into an embrace, “You never let me go where it mattered, in your heart.”

*

The next morning found them preparing to go. Ben stood behind Rey as she said her goodbye to Finn. “We'll see each other again. I believe that. Thank you, my friend.” Rey looked up as Ben held his hand over Finn’s forehead briefly, then handed her staff and they left the medical unit. They walked across the tarmac toward the _Falcon_ hand in hand.

Leia hugged her son, “May the Force be with you, Ben.” She slipped a cloaked binary beacon around his wrist, “To light your way back to me.”

“We’ll see you soon.”

*

Ahch-To was a beautiful place. Ben sat behind Han while they made their approach, catching Rey’s astonished look. They landed and Han turned around to look at his son, “We’ll give you kids some time first. Give a shout if you need us.” He stood up and they hugged briefly and Ben and Rey headed up the steep steps leading to the top of the island.

They found Luke Skywalker at the top of the island and Ben pushed his cowl back.

Luke looked at both of them with a look of exasperating despair. “No.” he said and stalked away, past the pair.

Ben watched him go and said, “If I remembered him better, that might hurt worse.”

“Master Skywalker!” Rey called out following him, confident that Ben would be on her heels.

They followed Luke to a hut with a metal door which slammed shut on them.

“Master Skywalker! We need your help! Ben’s had his memory ripped away.”

“Go away!”

Ben stepped forward and knocked on the door, “Master Luke, I need your help, I need to know if the damage can be reversed, can you help us?”

“Go away, both of you.”

Ben turned and saw Rey heading back down the stairs, he caught up with her and grabbed her arm, “Rey!”

“I think we need some help someone he can’t ignore.”

“I know, sweetheart, just hold on.” He stood close to the edge, then cupped his hands over his mouth and bellowed out something that echoed off the rocky walls. “I prearranged that with Chewie.” He smiled at the answering call, “Might be a while, while they fight over Chewie carrying Dad.”

Rey laughed softly and sat on a low stone wall and shivered. Ben sat next to her and put his arm around her. They watched the waves and the amusing fat little birds until Han came puffing up the path. 

Chewie grumbled something, “Hoth, Chewie, Hoth.” He looked at Ben, “What did he say?”

“ ‘No’ and ‘Go away’.” He pointed over his shoulder, “Hut with the metal door.”

Rey watched the older man and the Wookie head to the hut and then saw Ben looking at something, “Ben?”

Neither jumped at the sound of a metal door being ripped from its hinges. Ben moved off in the direction of whatever he sensed, only pausing to reach for Rey’s hand.

They found themselves inside a very old tree that hosted a shelf and several very old books. Rey reached out hesitantly, “They’re very old.”

“The ancient Jedi texts.” Ben said after a long moment. “Why do I feel undeserving of even touching them?”

Rey reached out and picked one at random, but not used to the weight of old books it slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, falling open in the process.

They both stood with different expressions of shock. Ben recovered first and stooped to pick up the book. 

“Did I break it?”

Ben chuckled, “I’m sure this is not first time this book has hit the ground.” He skimmed the pages it had fallen open to, frowning a little bit.

“Ben?”

“This passage talks about something called a Dyad in the Force. It sounds like us, two that are one. Instant trust between them, what one learns the other knows or learns quickly. Very rare.” He closed the book, dusted the dirt off and replaced it on the shelf. “We’d better check on them.”

The first day on Ahch-To ended in a stalemate.

Luke got up early, after a restless night to find Han trudging up the path. Luke sat to wait for him when he spotted Ben and Rey. They had been up and about early and while he had cut himself off from the Force, their voices still carried. They were sparring, staff against baton, which should have been an unfair fight but they were pretty evenly matched and they wound up rolling on the ground, laughing.

“So, how long has it been since you heard him laugh?” Han asked, his personal honor not permitting him to wheeze.

Peals of laughter rang out on the breeze before fading away.

Luke thought about it, “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him laugh like that.”

Han sat next to Luke. “I’m not sure what that says about us as a family.”

Rey helped Ben to his feet and handed him his baton but hesitated to touch the lightsaber.

He crouched down and kissed on her cheek from behind. “It’s a weapon, a tool.” He scooped it off the ground. Rey grabbed her staff and stepped back.

“You used it back on Takodana.”

“Muscle memory.” He activated the lightsaber and swung it around, cautiously at first but faster and faster and more confidently. Rey kept clear but watched Ben.

Han and Luke also watched. Luke frowned, “And he’s forgotten everything?”

Han huffed, “Kid’s been playing with sticks since he could walk. He’s also got a lot of muscle memory.”

They watched as Ben cleaved the stone outcropping in two.

“Kriff!” Ben grabbed the stone before it could fall and closed the lightsaber. He laid the stone on the ledge then turned and looked at Rey who only looked at him with love and amusement in her eyes. He shrugged, trying to look casual about the whole thing.

“That’s my boy.”

“He destroyed an ancient monolith.”

“He was showing off for a girl. I’ve done worse for the same reason.”

Luke could not argue with that point. He sighed, “I don’t know what good I can do. How much help I can be.”

“At least give Rey the basics and remind Ben of what he has forgotten.” Han smiled mischievously, “Let Leia do the talking.”

Luke smiled. “Okay, I’ll come.”

***

Epilogue

The crash site was on Jakku. In the few weeks since it had happened the sand had almost completely covered the remnants of the _Night Buzzard_. The soldiers had almost finished the excavation when Lord Kraken arrived. He counted six bodies where there should have been seven. Then following where the Force led he strode a few steps away from the wreck on a path that led away from Niima Outpost. 

His boot hit something and he gestured to have a soldier start excavating. Very shortly he was handed a black and chrome helmet with a terrible crack in it and a lightsaber of an unusual design. He hit the activating switch, but there was just a small spark and the lightsaber failed to ignite.

**Author's Note:**

> From the TFA Kinkmeme, post 6, page 32.
> 
> The Prompt: Rey/Kylo Ren, Amnesia
> 
> Kylo's ship goes down on Jakku, and while he's the only survivor, he's lost practically all his memories. Rey comes across him and can't just leave him to fend for himself. Despite the risk/cost to herself she decides to help him by way of rescue/food/water/shelter. 
> 
> Luckily for her this pale giant - on top of being physically imposing, strong, and possessing a scary fire sword - seems to have retained muscle memory of advanced martial arts. And seeing as hanging with the scavenger is the best option for survival Kylo starts to earn his keep by helping Rey scavenge, barter, and defend their hauls.
> 
> Basically I want to see them as a dynamite scavenging team on Jakku.   
> +10 Kylo can remember very brief flashes of his childhood (like the name Ben)  
> +100 the proximity to Kylo helps Rey's Force sensitivity awaken   
> +1000 as they form a friendship the Force bonds them in a different way


End file.
